Jesutofunmi Alabi Impact Fund

Summer Bash YQR Legacy Fund

The Summer Bash YQR Legacy Fund is a testament to the passion and dedication of the hundreds of volunteers that have delivered a couple hundred community events, all started in 2017. This fund is designed to support other community events in Regina for generations to come, ensuring that the spirit of togetherness continues to thrive. The fund is also a way that the Summer Bash name can continue to live on forever, and to honour the dedication of all the volunteers who wanted to create a community of belonging.

Adam Hicks, a recently-elected member of the Regina Public School Board in late 2016, envisioned a way to celebrate summer with the families he represented. Partnering with Ian Leverington and the Albert Park Community Association, they sought to connect with Regina’s newest neighborhood, Harbour Landing. This collaboration gave birth to the Summer Bash events.

The inaugural Summer Bash festival in August 2017 drew an impressive audience of 9,200 people, far exceeding expectations. The following year, the event expanded with the addition of five Movie in the Park events, reaching over 14,000 attendees across all events.

In 2019, the first-ever Summer Market was introduced, featuring over 100 vendors and attracting more than 5,000 attendees. Movie Nights continued to be a hit, drawing a crowd of over 4,000 across five events.

The year 2020 saw the introduction of Cultural Evolut!on, a live music festival in partnership with the Regina Folk Festival. This event evolved to include cultural teaching workshops alongside live music. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Summer Bash adapted by hosting drive-in movie nights using an FM transmitter, continuing to bring joy to the community throughout 2020 and 2021.

In 2022 and beyond, Summer Bash hosted over 20 movie nights every summer, along with the Summer Market and Cultural Evolut!on events. These family-friendly events focused on providing entertainment and positive shared experiences for the residents of Regina and the surrounding area. The goal was to always strengthen community connections and ensure that events are accessible to all, regardless of economic situation.

The success of Summer Bash would not be possible without the support of amazing partners and sponsors. Their contributions enabled the events to grow and bring high-quality experiences to the community year after year.

The Summer Bash YQR Legacy Fund will continue to support community events that foster strong family, school, and community bonds, creating a climate of belonging and authentic engagement for all.